Eligibility and Guidelines

The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers supports projects that draw on the research collections at The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (formerly the Humanities and Social Sciences Library). The Center looks for top-quality writing from academics as well as from creative writers and independent scholars. It aims to promote dynamic conversation about the humanities, social sciences, and scholarship at the highest level — within the Center, in public forums throughout the Library, and in the Fellows’ published work.

Candidates who need to work primarily in The New York Public Library’s other research centers — The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the Science, Industry and Business Library — are not eligible for this fellowship.

In order to avoid real or apparent conflicts of interest, the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers does not accept applications from New York Public Library staff members or their partners, or from people active on the Library’s Board of Trustees, Board Advisory Committees, or Library Council.

Fellows are required to work at the Cullman Center for the duration of the fellowship term and may not accept other major professional obligations during the term. Some fellows may have a few prior commitments, but must limit research trips, attendance at scholarly meetings, and speaking engagements to short periods of time. Anyone who needs to be away for more than two days must notify the Center's Director or Deputy Director. The Library will pro-rate fellowship stipends for fellows who spend too much time away from the Center.

Fellowships will not be granted to post-doctoral fellows or to applicants doing graduate-school dissertation research.

The Cullman Center will not accept dossier letters in place of new letters of recommendation.

Fellows must be conversant in English.

Completed applications and supporting materials — research proposal, Curriculum Vitae, letters of recommendation, and creative writing sample or art work sample — must be submitted by 5 p.m. EST on September 29, 2017.

New York Public Library staff members are not able to make corrections or additions once applications are submitted.

THE CULLMAN CENTER IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A GENEROUS ENDOWMENT FROM DOROTHY AND LEWIS B. CULLMAN IN HONOR OF BROOKE RUSSELL ASTOR, WITH MAJOR SUPPORT PROVIDED BY MRS. JOHN L. WEINBERG, THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION, THE ESTATE OF CHARLES J. LIEBMAN, JOHN AND CONSTANCE BIRKELUND, THE SAMUEL I. NEWHOUSE FOUNDATION, AND ADDITIONAL GIFTS FROM THE GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY, HELEN AND ROGER ALCALY, THE MRS. GILES WHITING FOUNDATION, THE RONA JAFFE FOUNDATION, WILLIAM W. KARATZ, MARY ELLEN VON DER HEYDEN, MERILEE AND ROY BOSTOCK, THE ARTS AND LETTERS FOUNDATION, LYBESS SWEEZY AND KEN MILLER, AND CULLMAN CENTER FELLOWS.